Ingredients:

1. Demerara sugar can be found in some high-end grocery stores and specialty cookware stores. You can also buy it online at Amazon.

Storage

Almost all clear simple syrups will last up to 2 -3 weeks if properly stored in the refrigerator. PRO TIP: To extend the shelf life add 1 teaspoon of regular vodka to the recipe and stir to combine. This simple trick should increase the shelf life to 4 - 6 weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Substitutions

• • Turbinado Sugar - a type of raw cane sugar, is the closest substitute. Like real demerara sugar, it has coarse grains so you can use the same ratios. Since it's an unrefined sugar, it has a very similar flavor to demerara.

• • Light or Dark Brown Sugar- You can also make it with dark or light brown sugar but it will have a more molasses-like flavor.

Variations

Although delicious on its own, there are lots of ways to change up this Demerara sugar syrup. Here are some suggestions.

• • Rich Demerara Syrup: The ingredients are the same but you use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water. For this recipe, increase the sugar to 2 cups and use 1 cup of water.
    Rich simple syrup is used when you want less dilution in your drink. Since it has a higher sugar content, use ⅔ of the amount called for in the recipe.

• • Spiced - add a cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves, and 5 allspice berries to the sugar and water mixture to infuse the syrup with additional spice notes. Try it in a Rum Moscow Mule or any ginger beer cocktail.

• • Vanilla - add a vanilla bean to the sugar and water mixture before cooking and remove after the syrup cools. If you don't have a vanilla bean, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or paste to the syrup after cooking.

• • Salted Caramel- add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the sugar and water mixture for a take on salted caramel.

• • Cinnamon: Add a cinnamon stick to the sugar and water mixture before cooking and remove after the syrup cools.